Yet When the Other Doth Far Roam

Chapter Two

It'd take a few paychecks to save up enough to get a better apartment, and longer to probably convince Steve via letter to move into the damn thing. So, until then, they both still lived in the same crappy apartments in the same run down building they'd always been in.

Well, that Steve had always been in. She'd moved in a few years earlier, after her parents and sister had moved out of state. It had made sense to find a place near Steve and he'd agreed, citing it'd make it easier to walk her to and from work.

Steve's place was on the first floor, up a short flight of rickety steps in constant threat of collapse. He went inside and Rebecca leaned against the doorframe to wait for him. Now that they both lived alone, Steve wouldn't let her come inside. He said it was to protect her reputation, which she was pretty sure was fairly well shot after years of back-alley fistfights, mostly on Steve's behalf.

Ladies, she's been informed more than once by nosy busybodies, did not engage in fisticuffs, and certainly not outright wrestling matches, with boys. They also didn't wear trousers on a regular basis or have a male best friend the way she did with Steve. There were a variety of colorful rumors floating about concerning her and her reputation, none of which she cared about. She had better things to do than worry about small-minded individuals in desperate need hobbies other than gossiping and criticizing her.

Across the small living room, the bedroom door opened, and Steve came out. He'd changed into his nicest clothes and slicked his hair down.

Rebecca raised an eyebrow. It's a science fair, not church."

He grinned. "Just don't want to be underdressed, not with you in uniform and all."

He closed the front door and they headed back down the stairs. As Rebecca stepped off the final step, her heel caught in a hole in the wood, and she stumbled. Steve grabbed her arm and she flung it around his shoulder to keep her balance.

"I hate these things," she growled, glaring down

"I don't know," Steve said, with an oddly shy smile. "I think they look good on you."

Rebecca's face flamed. She cleared her throat and made a show of looking at something in the distance until it cooled down.

Who knows, maybe the heels weren't so terrible after all.

***

The fair was amazing, the sky lit with fireworks and the exhibits out of this world with futuristic looking tech and men spouting important sounding words.

As they went about trying to see everything, they ran into a couple of mutual friends, Kathy Johnson and her cousin, Gordon. Gordon had brought a new friend of his, a slender looking banker type with short blond hair and glasses, named Jim or John or some name Rebecca forgot almost as soon as she heard it.

She mostly turned-out Gordon explaining that what's-his-name was a new employee from work. Gordon had a habit of befriending everyone he met, and it was common to see random people about him wherever he went.

It was clear from the way Kathy's eyes were lit up that she was interested in the guy, and it was just as obvious from the way he was gaping that he was interested in Rebecca.

Damn it.

Rebecca knew she was considered attractive, guys told her all the time. This despite the trousers and her keeping her hair tied in a thick bun at the base of her neck most days. Still, she got told she was a real stunner, usually along with descriptions of how small she was or dainty. Why the hell her attractiveness was tied up in her size, she didn't know, but she hated that stupid word. Dainty. Children were dainty, not a grown woman who'd once fought off an angry dog with a stick and righteous anger.